Investment

Advanced Materials Startup Cambium Raises $100M Series B

“If AI is to be the brains of America’s tech supremacy, Gundo hopes to provide the muscle, the energy and the firepower,” The Economist recently wrote. “The harder it is to build, the better.” Looks like we can add super high-tech materials and composites to the list of ambitious Gundo exports, especially after El Segundo, […]

Investment

Exclusive: Array Labs Raises $20M Series A

We love a cheeky raise to kick off the new year.  This morning, space-based radar company Array Labs announced in an exclusive release to Tectonic that it’s raised a $20M Series A led by Catapult Ventures, with participation from Washington Harbour Partners, Kompas VC, and others, including Y Combinator.  The startup—which builds powerful, more affordable […]

Investment

Defense Tech VC’s Banner Year

We’d be the first to tell you that it’s been a banner year in defense tech.  As it turns out, the numbers back up our—and, if you’re reading Tectonic, your—excitement. According to a Q3 report from Pitchbook, defense tech venture capital is on track to close out the year “firmly in expansion mode.” We’re not […]

Investment

Zerophase Scores $6.8M Seed Round

You know what sucks? When you’re flying a drone against Russian targets somewhere deep on the frontline and—suddenly—your comms line goes dark. It’s an experience that will be all too familiar to our Ukrainian military readers, and one that startup Zerophase is trying to make way less common. Late last week, the German data link […]

Investment

Vatn Raises $60M Series A

Time for a riddle: what swims below the ocean surface, can carry explosive payloads, and has just raised a big ol’ funding round? As it turns out—Vatn Systems. This morning, the Rhode Island–based autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) startup announced that it closed a $60M Series A led by BVVC, with participation from investors including Hanwha, […]

Investment

Pryzm Raises $12.2M Led by a16z

Remember when we were way in the weeds on the nuts and bolts, unsexy side of the defense industry? Well, we’re back—it’s time to talk contracting. This morning, AI-powered government market intelligence platform (say that five times fast) Pryzm announced that it’s raised $12.2M in seed funding from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from XYZ, […]

Investment

Castelion Closes $350M Series B

The hype for hypersonics is back, baby.  On Friday, El Segundo-based hypersonic missile startup Castelion announced that they’ve officially closed their $350M Series B, led by Altimeter Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Lavrock Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, First In, Space VC, Cantos, BlueYard, Avenir, Champion Hill, and Interlagos. The round—first rumored […]

Investment

Saronic Invests $300M in Louisiana Shipyard

Saronic is making a big splash down south.  On Wednesday, the autonomous surface vessel (ASV) heavyweight announced it’s making a $300M investment in its Franklin, Louisiana, shipyard, a move the company says will speed up its delivery of those robo-ships the Navy so desperately wants.  Future fleet, here we come.  Splashing around: Saronic has a […]

Investment

Exclusive Interview: Sky Spy Scores $1.6M for SIGINT

​​We’ve talked a lot about electronic warfare recently, and it looks like we’re not stopping anytime soon.  This morning, in an exclusive interview with Tectonic, Sky Spy—a signal intelligence startup born on Ukraine’s frontlines—announced that they’ve raised a $1.6M pre-seed led by Expeditions Fund and Superangel, with participation from Freedom Fund, Sunfish Partners, Crosscourt Ventures, […]

Investment

Antares Raises $96M Series B

If all goes according to plan, a handful of nuclear fission firms in the US will finally switch on their microreactor and small modular reactors before Independence Day. And Antares—a Redondo Beach, CA-based company building small-scale nuclear fission reactors for remote deployment—has just raised a fresh batch of funding to fuel its run-up to that […]